Updated

A year after three Al-Jazeera English journalists were arrested in Egypt, they and their families are pleading for justice and an end to their ordeal.

Australian Peter Greste, Egyptian-Canadian acting bureau chief Mohammed Fahmy and Egyptian producer Baher Mohammed were arrested a year ago Monday in a case that has sent shock waves through the media in Egypt.

They were convicted of helping the Muslim Brotherhood, which the government branded a terrorist organization after their arrest, and sentenced to between seven and 10 years in prison. They say they were prosecuted for simply doing their jobs as journalists, and rights groups called the trial a sham.

Egypt's Court of Cassation begins hearing their appeal on Thursday.

"It's a very anxious time," Greste's mother, Lois, told The Associated Press.